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Changes in the dispensing fees structures by medical aid schemes has put many of the community pharmacies in a position where they are unable to continue operating as viable businesses.

The Independent Community Pharmacy Association claims that medical aid schemes are putting pressure on patients to transfer their prescriptions from independent community pharmacies to corporate and courier pharmacies, which in turn negatively affects independent pharmacies across South Africa.

CapeTalk’s Pippa Hudson spoke to Mogologolo Phasha, Chairman of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association about the effects of these changes.

Listen to the full conversation below:

The key issues here is that the Medical aids forces the patients to go to either courier or to the larger chain groups

— Mogologolo Phasha, Chairman of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association

If they go to the independent community pharmacy they do what they call penalty co-payment and we are against this penalty co-payment

— Mogologolo Phasha, Chairman of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association

Because the local pharmacies can do exactly what your chain stores and courier are doing, if not better.

— Mogologolo Phasha, Chairman of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association